the stranger on the train

A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo

Make your own conclusions.

~shalom~

lifter of my head

I've been waking up at odd hours, not sure why. Guess i miss my bed or maybe i'm thinking too much again.

Usually when i can't sleep i go online or just listen to some soft music. For the past few days i've been listening to my instrumental hymns playlist and don't want to listen to that today. So when i woke up at 5 this morning i listened to my worship playlist which has some of my favourite worship songs. I noticed i don't worship as much as i used to. Need to get back at it but one song that i like very much is 'lifter of my head'. I like the hillsong acoustic version better. There's also a version by mia fieldes but the acoustic one is much better, for me la.

Lifter Of My Head - Hillsong

You make my way
Bright as the break of day
Shining ever brighter
One thing I pray
Lord let Your light in me
Be shining ever brighter

Through trials and tears and heartache
I will find a song, reminding my soul
I know that you're near, I've nothing to fear
Coz You'll always be...

Lifter of my head
Lifter of my head
I will say O God You are my God
Strong when I am weak
Brave when I am not
God You are my God.

~shalom~

a few more days

This is probably my last full week in kuching. It has been very eventful. I always love coming back, its different everytime, you meet different sets of people or the same old faces going through a different phase in their lives.

I enjoy the time i spent with everyone, going makan all the time, the table jokes and games hehe and mafia :)

Part of the reason why i come back is because of the worship at bethany. Its so different, so unique and the messages are always always encouraging, challenging, no nonsense just the word of God unspoiled and real. You don't get that everywhere so its for me a time to recharge, reflect, revive before i go back to my 'mission field'.

I have a few things i would like to do in the coming days and weeks as i go back and i pray God will guide me as i go about doing them. Looking back i can only give thanks and say God has been really really faithful to me, all the while i've been here not just in kuching but in Malaysia and the time for me to go back to my family is approaching. I just want to take some time to be grateful for the protection i have received all the while i was here. I have not been in any serious problem and even the minor ones are momentary that they seem insignificant. My health has been really good even though i still have flu once in a while nothing major. Its funny even when i have flu my parents are worried i can't imagine if i had to spend the night in a hospital how they will feel. Probably my mom would come here hahaha. But yeah and how God has filled my life with joy and peace. Doesn't matter where i go i can find real friends who are genuine and who i can count on. Not everyone has that and i am grateful for his grace.

So while most of you celebrate the year of the OX don't forget to invite me. Seriously!
~shalom~

when God ran

Yesterday there was this show on the Australia network by Richard Dawkins. He's the one earlier this month behind a campaign in the UK that put up banners on buses that read "there's probably no God so stop worrying and enjoy your life". Needless to say he's an atheist. 

Well on this show he was coming against superstitious beliefs and called them amongst other things utter rubbish. As a scientist he believes in the big bang theory and as a professor in biology he of course believes in the evolution of man from very primitive to the homo sapiens we are now. As far as he is concerned whatever you cannot test and verify scientifically is nonsense. 

I liked that program, because it helped me compare. Although I also don't believe in superstition, I can imagine how a man like that could right off everything that does not make scientific sense. I can imagine that at some point in his life he has as most of us have asked the question who am I? Where did I come from, and where am I going and have found the answers that science provided enough to satisfy his curiosity. But I bet he does not know how it is that God can take someone that science and sometimes the world have condemned and rejected as nothing and bring him to prominence, like Joseph or how someone as cowardly as Gideon could lead the Israelites to victory. Or how it feels to wake up one day and realize that all your sins are no more, gone like they never happened. 

This morning I woke up to this song and I've been listening to it all day thanks to Stanley and Yan Hui :)  

~shalom~

miri kuching miri

As the time for me to leave kuching draws closer, i have mixed feelings. Its interesting how things happen. I remember when i was leaving kuching i didn't know what to expect. I guess i was so comfortable and still am, in kuching and for a while i thought if that was the right decision, leaving? Miri is a really nice place, even though the food is better in kuching, and cheaper too, and even though there's just one MCD in the entire city; not that i go there very often and the weather not withstanding, i find that when the time comes to go back i am excited.

I love kuching and will always love this place especially because of the people here. I like the fellowship i have here with the bethany people and the opportunity to serve is just a blessing. I can't imagine my whole break without something to do. The past few months have been some of the best. I will miss singing "pretty eyes" with leslie and going makan with yong shen and NFSMW with barnabas. All the birthdays, celebrating, preparing, and stuff. And to think that i almost didn't come back this time? I would have missed out on all the breakfast i don't have to pay for :P and the insane non stop raining season which is in stark contrast to the insane heat thats in miri. I would have missed out on ps Che Chung's induction to full time ministry in bethany. Would have missed out on time spent with the others and that would have been sad indeed.

I just thank God for the way He made me comfortable in both cities and how He has constantly provided for all my needs both physical and non-physical. And for giving me a loving family away from my nuclear family :)
~shalom~

poor kfc lady

Today i spend the whole day at home. Woke up rather early and then went back to sleep. Slept for the most part of today and played NFSMW. Didn't go out to eat or anything, was not feeling hungry. 

Had to turn sam down for futsal, not sure if that was the right thing to do or not. I guess that was selfish on my part.

Finally walked to kfc at premier 101 for kfc. I don't usually have kfc but it was the nearest nice place to eat. Didn't want to go bing alone since no one was free for dinner. Sometimes i wish i had a car, then i could just drive to anywhere and not be stuck at home.

Was standing in line at kfc and this M lady was taking orders for these guys in front of me. I'm not sure what was going on so in classic me mode i minded my own business but either they didnt seem to know what they wanted or the M lady was new or had a long day but it was not secret she was having a hard time with these folks. They wanted this and that, you know how some people can order things that are not in the menu just to cause trouble? I knew they were up to no good. Anyway i felt sorry for her, i wished there was more i could do to reassure her that we're all not like that, felt helpless.

I dunno if to make myself less guilty but just before eating, saying grace i asked God to give her a raise and to bless her.

~shalom~

rain rain go away

Was reading job today and found something interestinng. Job is an incredible man, if you have the time, just settle in a nice cosy corner and read the book of Jobs, its 42 chapters long and can go back and forth sometimes but you will be astounded by the personality and character that this man has. But here's what i found interesting and it has to do with the weather like it or hate it.

God's voice is glorious in the thunder. We cannot comprehend the greatness of his power. He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. Everyone stops working at such a time so they can recognise his power. The wild animals hide in the rocks or in their dens. The stormy wind comes from its chamber, and the drving winds bring the cold. God's breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water. He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with his lightning. The clouds turn around and around under his direction. They do what he commands throughout the earth. He causes things to happen on earth, either as a punishment or as a sign of his unfailing love.

Job 37:5-13

~shalom~

ip man

As a movie it was incredible but there's a bigger story here. The movie is a story of honour, respect, humility and above all diligence. In proverbs there's something like this ...seest thou a man diligent in his work, he will not stand before mean men, he will stand before kings.

Yip man is from the Fo shan province known for its martial arts schools. Basically anyone who could perform some kata opened a school and had disciples. This man was the master of the masters but he never opened a school, he never thought, never had a disciple but humbly trained in his humble home day in day out determined not to be too far from his son and his lovely wife whom he respected and did everything in his power to protect. That for me is inspiring.

Unlike most kung fu movies thats all action and no fun, this one is quite funny, the hall was a mix of mostly chinese, some bumi, i counted one indian and this nigerian fella all laughing at the humour that director wilson yip slipped in to the otherwise serious affair of how the chinese protected their pride against the influences of outsiders especially the Japanese. In this movie i caught a glimpse of the chinese pride that you see so much in the older generation and a bit in the newer generation in this country. Its a pride that is not boastful but defiant against subjection and oppression.

For me the movie was very good, well laid out, well directed and the actor was superb in his rendition of the life of the Yip man but what i will take away, more than just the humour and the courage is the life of this man, lived in quietness but did not shy away from responsibility and rose up like a sleeping giant to defend his honour and protect those he loved. For me it deserves a 5 out of 5.

~shalom~

for my friends

I dont know why it took this long but this is my goodbye to some of the people i call friends. They have been really dear to me in more ways than one and they're leaving, some to perth and others to where God may lead.

Amy



My friend, ex-housemate, cat lover, et cetera et cetera. I'm grateful to you for being there for me. Great! i had so much i wanted to say now blank. Erm i'll say what i think you already know, slow down girl! or not. Thanks for being a friend i really appreciate your company and i don't care if your wedding is in sarikei send me an invitation :P

Allan



My other housemate. I know i was so busy on your last sem in curtin and we didn't go dinner as usual but you have been fun. Not the cleanest but it doesn't matter. All the best with your job. I'm sure going to miss your singing and the dota :) This is probably the only picture i have of him and he's asking amy to help him out with something.

Kenin



Kenin kenin, whenever i think of kenin i think of food. HAha. I'm going to miss you, even though we didnt spend a lot of time together but you're quite entertaining...facial expressions and all and i delight in making you feel less important. Ok enough about you! All the best in perth. Make sure you come back or i'll hunt you to extinction mr Koala.

Kimberly
I'm sorry i dont have a picture of you. Hard to see you also hehe. But you've been a dear sister to me and an encouragement when i needed it. Xie Xie wo de peng you :)

Sam



You're the best. Its so sad you all are going away but hope to see you again some time. We share some things in common and it was good to have worked with you and have you to be there through my rocky moments. God bless you my brother :) don't get the mbpro man the mb has almost the same performance. All the best in perth. I know you will do well and leave the future to God. Just trust Him that things will go well.

As much as i love being in kuching you guys are part of the reason i miss miri and it sucks when you all have to go back but wtd?

~shalom~

MMIX

2008 is gone, its a new year. Frankly the last year just breezed by. There was little or no time to stop and be quiet and reflect and i didnt like that. I remember complaining because of all the things i had to do especially in school but as i look back, i see that thats pretty much how my life has been and i can take being busy with a lot of stuff but its not something i look forward to.

In all the busyness there were times when i lost focus on what is really important, and concentrated on the work to be done. The thing with doing God's work is that there's always a reward but we can easily lose it if we have the wrong attitude.

So MMVIII was a good year, yeah i can say through everything that happened it was a really good year but its gone now and another one is upon us. I'm not one to make resolutions because i don't usually keep them but this year i think i want to do things differently, take more risks in life. I've been reading books and pastor confirmed it with his message a few weeks ago. I also want to build my relationship with my family especially my dad. I know that one of the things i wanted to do last year but lost sight of it and just didn't put enough effort into it. I definitely want to leave my past failings behind and move on. I would also want to draw closer to God in prayer and studying his word and to make a habit of waking up early and going to bed early as well.

God bless you :)
~shalom~